Paper Mario: The Keys to the Cursed Isle
by BoomShroom
Summary: Mario is about to enjoy a much needed vacation. But when he learns of a cursed island in the sky which holds a danger that threatens thousands of lives, the mustached hero must step in to save the day.
1. Chapter 1

**I was originally planning on uploading this at another time after I had put more stories up, but whatever. I'll start it up now and keep going on with it. Oh, and I do not own Mario or anything like that, that's property of Nintendo. Now, onto the story!**

Paper Mario

The Keys to the Cursed Isle

Prologue

The sun shone brightly down on Mario, the hero of the Mushroom Kingdom, and the clouds floated gently below. Mario was taking a much needed vacation. He was on his way to a fabulous city called Skysound, a city said to resonate with the music of harmony and peace. The city was located on an island. But the island was not on the ocean. It was far above the clouds, one of many floating islands in a region of the sky known as the Skysea. These were nowhere near the Mushroom Kingdom, though. Mario had to travel through quite a few lands in order to find a hot air balloon that would take him to this wondrous city. Unfortunately, he would be alone on this trip. Princess Peach was unable to join him due to some issues which required immediate attention. But she made him promise to tell her all about his trip when he came back.

"Ahoy, sir! Over there! Do you see it?" the pilot of the balloon said. "We are approaching your destination. Please gather your belongings and prepare to dock."

Mario scanned the horizon and saw what the man had referred to. An irregularly shaped chunk of land was floating off in the distance. Buildings rose higher into the sky from it, as if they were climbing higher into the everlasting sea of air. It reminded him of a similar place, more or less the same, but smaller, a floating tourist attraction called Glitzville.

Mario leaned on the edge of the basket, letting the cool wind brush against his face. He was looking forward to this vacation.

Ten minutes later, the balloon was preparing to land on Skysound.

"Please prepare to disembark, sir. We will dock momentarily." the pilot reminded him.

Mario nodded to him and stared at the beauty of the city below him while he still had the aerial view.

The southern area of the island seemed to be a district for shipping. Blimps of all shapes and sizes were docked almost haphazardly while their crew members rushed around loading and unloading cargo. The eastern and southeastern part of the city was residential. People walked up and down the streets and kids played in their yards. The island was too small to have any use for cars. Instead of a driveway, each house had a place to lock their bikes to. But the western side seemed shadier. Most of the houses were run down and covered in graffiti. Mario watched as two ant sized people cornered another. They seemed to beat him up and then they ran away, leaving him on the floor. Mario didn't want any trouble, so he made a mental note to stay away from there. The north end of the city seemed peaceful and serene. A large cathedral stretched high into the air and towered above every other building. Park benches were placed at different spots and the grass looked healthy and green. A few families had set down picnic blankets and were enjoying the wonderful weather. Windmills were erected in the parks, obviously acting as the city's source of power. But the heart of the city was the liveliest area. Large buildings stood tall and proud, their shadows covering the people of the city and shading them from the sun. People hurried about in order to get to business meetings or run to coffee shops to make the most of their lunch breaks. Mario also spotted the hotel he would be staying at. It looked incredibly deluxe, a little out of his price range actually. But he would deal with that later.

Mario sighed contently. He had nothing to worry about. No princesses to save, no koopas to stomp, and no worlds to rescue from impending doom. Everything was going to be perfect.

Then Mario heard a scream, shrill and frightened. He looked around him and even down at the town, but he couldn't find the source. Where was it coming from?

Then it hit him, literally. The person who had been screaming dropped out of the sky and landed on him.

"Ooohhhh…" she moaned as she recovered from her drop. She got up and stared at Mario, who was currently lying on the floor.

"Omigosh!" she gasped. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to land on you, honest! If I had known you were there, I would have tried to not land on you. But then I probably would have fallen all the way down through the sky….but at least one of us would be happy!"

Mario stood up and straightened his hat which had become crooked after the impact. Then he stared at the person who had fallen on him.

She was a young Boo girl, probably in her mid teens. She was an odd coloration for a Boo, a sort of brownish yellowish color like that of a Ruff Puff. An exotic flower was perched on her head and two silver bracelets were wrapped around her wrists

The Boo looked very flustered and was still talking a mile a minute.

"…and you know how that is, it can get quite embarrassing. One time something like that happened to me, except my dad put his hand in a toaster and nearly-"

Mario interrupted her, not sure what she was saying.

"Huh? Oh, I'm so sorry! I usually start talking and get carried away and I just can't stop. Anyways, my name is Isaboo. Who are you?" she said, extending her hand.

Mario shook her hand and introduced himself. Isaboo gasped again and her eyes lit up.

"You're THE Mario! The hero of the Mushroom Kingdom? The guy who always beats up baddies and saves the princess!"

Mario nodded.

"Wow. If everything I've read about you is true, then maybe that means you could help us…" she muttered to herself.

Mario was about to ask her what she meant by that, but was cut off by yet another visitor falling from the sky.

This one was a koopa, but he was wearing a strange uniform. He wore a blue bandana that covered the top of his head. Opaque white goggles covered his eyes, and he wore a cape. The cape was blue on the top and white on the bottom, the two colors intersecting in the middle to meet at a gold star, most likely the symbol of the organization he belonged to.

The figure pointed accusingly at Isaboo. She scowled at him, but hesitantly floated back.

"Nice try! But you'll have to try harder than that if you want to escape the Skysound Restoration Committee!"

Without thinking, Mario stepped in to defend her.

"Don't get involved with this tubby!" he sneered. "Just hand her over and we'll leave nice and quietly."

Mario raised his hammer in response.

"Alright then. If it's a fight you want, it's a fight you'll get!"

The koopa gave a sharp two note whistle and another figure dropped down. This one was a goomba wearing the same uniform.

The battle began. The koopa tucked into his shell and shot himself at Mario. He deflected the blow with his hammer and then koopa was sent back in the direction he was launched from, nearly falling off of the balloon. The goomba went in for a headbonk, but Mario defended against the attack. He used his signature move and jumped on the goomba. He gave a grunt of pain and was down for the count.

"Watch out!" Isaboo warned. Mario turned to see the koopa attacking him again.

He couldn't dodge the attack. The shell went crashing into the mustached plumbers stomach and he fell onto his back.

"Hah! Take that! That'll teach you to mess with-URK!"

Mario sat up to see the koopa being smacked by Isaboo. One, two, three times. She put a lot of power into the final strike and the koopa was sent spinning. He fell to the ground, but was back on his feet a moment later.

"Yeowch! Hey, that's not fair! You two can't just team up!"

The goomba ran to his side, looking equally beat.

"Dude, I think we should make, like, a tactical retreat or something. We can report back to Relna and tell her that they have a powerful new ally. Seriously, I don't wanna fight this guy."

The koopa didn't look happy about running away from the fight, but he didn't have much of a choice.

"Grrrr. Fine. Listen up, mustache man. You may have bested us here, but don't think you've seen the last of us. We'll be back, and then it will be your turn to lose!"

The koopa gave another whistle and a rope ladder appeared near the edge of the balloon. The two figures jumped on and were pulled into a blimp hovering above. Then the blimp floated off towards the western side of Skysound.

Mario turned toward Isaboo and made sure she wasn't hurt.

"Oh, don't worry Mario, I'm fine. But that koopa looked like he hit you pretty hard. Are you okay?"

Mario nodded.

"That's a relief. But that wouldn't have happened if I weren't here. Sorry…"

Mario shook his head. It wasn't her fault. He had decided to get involved. But he was wondering why those goons were chasing her.

"I guess I do owe you an explanation. Let me start from the very beginning."

"As I told you, my name is Isaboo. I came to the island of Skysound in order to research more about the Cursed Isle. You may have heard the story. The Cursed Isle is a floating island rumored to exist somewhere in the Skysea. Legends tell of a group of nomads who found the island and investigated it. On the surface, there was nothing except a gaping hole. The nomads were naturally curious, so they decided to check it out. When they went inside, they couldn't see anything in front of them, and they were all separated by walls. However, they could see one another's paths, as if it had been lit up for only their eyes. But before they could lead each other out of the maze, voices spoke in their heads. The voices convinced them to betray one another, and that's just what they did. They each led each other into traps and pits, and soon none of them remained. Except two. They were twins who had lived their whole lives together and were inseparable. They lead each other out of the labyrinth and set out to warn people about the cursed isle. They told anyone who would listen about every last detail, including a room which they believed held treasure. Soon word spread about the mythical treasure, and everyone wanted it. Treasure hunters set out to find it, but most could not even find the isle, and those who did never returned. People were outraged and accused the twins of lying. The twins soon discovered that six ancient treasures known as the Silver Keys had to be collected in order to open the door to the room housing the treasure. The twins were in possession of all of the keys, but that didn't last long. Thieves stole from them, and other thieves stole from them, and some might have misplaced or sold them for large amounts of cash. Either way, the keys were separated and traveled from owner to owner over the course of roughly one thousand years. Only a few people still believe in the legends or search for the keys. I'm one of them."

Mario was surprised. Isaboo didn't seem like a treasure hunter.

"Well, I'm not exactly searching for the keys myself. Reldan, the fortune teller of the city, is also helping me find them. We've been working together for the past few weeks, him reading ancient texts, me asking around town about any information regarding the keys, that kind of stuff. I'll introduce you to him."

But Mario didn't want to hunt for treasure. He was on vacation! Plus, the last time he was asked to go on a treasure hunt, things didn't go so well…

"But you might be the only one who can help us." She sighed, clearly crestfallen. "Please just hear us out. This isn't just some treasure hunt. Lives are at stake!"

Lives? Now Mario was curious. She could easily be lying, of course, but the earnestness in her voice and the worried look in her eyes made him decide to listen to what she had to say.

"You'll help us? Oh thank you, thank you, thank you, THANK YOU, Mario! I knew that you would help us!"

But Mario hadn't said anything about actually helping yet! But he couldn't stop and tell her since the pilot was speaking again.

"We are about to land. Please gather your belongings and watch your step as you disembark. Thank you for choosing Shy Guy Airways."

After settling down at the port of Skysound, Isaboo started talking nonstop. She told him all about the city, the sights, and the people. She seemed to know about everything and everyone in Skysound. The city wasn't astoundingly large, but knowing the information about everyone and everything was by no means a small feat.

By the time they reached the cathedral, Mario was surprised to still see her mouth attached to her face and not fallen off from overuse.

"This is the last area of Skysound, the Crescendo Cathedral. It was named that because of the giant bell that used to be located at the top of the spire. It was once used to signal the time of day or events and stuff. It was a really weird bell, too. When it rang, it was nearly inaudible if you were close to it, but it would get louder as the sound traveled farther out. And the sound could travel for miles! Unfortunately, the bell disappeared one day and no one even bothered to look for it. It's a shame, really…" she said sadly. "But enough about that! Let's go in!" the boo perked up instantly.

The interior of the cathedral was even more impressive than the exterior.

The walls were snowy white and the ornate floor was tiled, each tile the same exact distance away from another. There were huge chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. They swayed gently like leaves in the wind even though there was no breeze. Everything about the building was so precise and perfect that Mario couldn't find a single flaw. The architects must have put extreme care into the design.

Mario and Isaboo stood very still for a moment and admired the beauty, almost afraid that if they moved then it would fade away. They were pulled out of the spell after a few moments and they began to walk towards the end of the room. When they reached the other side, they saw a figure standing in front of a table, the light from the enormous window in front of him casting a long shadow down the middle of the room.

He turned towards them and said, "Ah, Isaboo! You've returned. And you have brought a friend. Who might you be, sir?"

The man who spoke to Mario was young and enveloped in an oversized, dark blue robe. Mario couldn't make out any details of his face except for two yellow eyes. Straight blond hair protruded from the hood of th robe and stretched down almost to his eyes. He wore a pendant around his neck. It was a purple sphere with an emblem of a spinning moon inside.

Mario introduced himself.

"You are Mario? What an honor to make your acquaintance!" he said, bowing to Mario. "How may I be of assistance to you, O Hero of the Mushroom Kingdom?"

Isaboo piped in. "Actually, Reldan, I brought Mario here because I thought he would be able to help us."

"Indeed. Good thinking, Isaboo! So, shall I explain our predicament to you, Mario?"

Mario nodded.

"Very well." He said. "But first, let me formally introduce myself. I am Reldan, fortune teller of Skysound and head of Skysound's council. You've met my assistant, Isaboo. She has helped me tremendously with my research on the Cursed Isle and the Silver Keys. Now, let me tell you why we are searching for them."

"I believe Isaboo has already told you the story of the Cursed Isle, correct? Our research has led to the discovery of the treasure which is spoken of in the legends actually being a bomb. And I'm talking about a HUGE bomb, here. One capable of wiping out the entire Skysea alone.

Mario was shocked. A bomb? That changed a lot of things. But Reldan was still talking.

"We are not sure who made it or for what reason, but we do know that it is locked away in the 'treasure' chamber and set to explode. Soon. We don't have much time. I was about to give up, but with you here, Mario, we can definitely prevent this catastrophe from taking place. With your skill in collecting rare objects like the Crystal Stars and Shine Sprites, this should be easy."

Mario was still unsure about jumping into this new adventure.

"I see that you are hesitant. Perhaps you require some proof?"

With that, Reldan drew a shiny silver object from his robes and held it out to Mario. It was a key with a diamond embedded in the handle.

"This is one of the Silver Keys. I have been guarding this since I first learned of the danger that was to befall the sky. It holds immense power and will lead you to the next key as well. Sadly, this is all the proof I can show you."

But it was all the proof that Mario needed. He could feel a strange and mysterious power emanating from the key. He sensed the key urging him to accept the journey that had been assigned to him, to collect all of the keys and stop the future calamity from occurring.

Reldan placed the key in Mario's hand and, after a moment of hesitation, Mario closed it into his fist.

"Thank you Mario. With you working with us, I'm sure there is hope for us all." Reldan said happily.

"This is great! We should get started right away since we don't have much time. So Reldan, how do we find the rest of the keys?" Isaboo asked.

"It's quite simple actually. Just do as I instruct you to do, Mario. First hold the key out in front of you." The fortune teller directed.

"Good. Now simply turn it to the right."

Mario did, but nothing happened. Just as he thought that the Reldan was messing with him, a brilliant light filled the room.

A large keyhole shaped plane of light floated in front of him. The light died down to reveal an image of a different island. This one had a large castle in the center of an old fashioned looking town. A large, dull colored mountain rested at one end of the island like a sleeping giant.

The image of the island disappeared and was replaced with a picture of a map. It showed them which direction to head in to reach the island from their current location.

After that, the giant keyhole vanished, changing everything back to normal.

"The key has just shown you where the next Silver key lies." Reldan explained. " It is in-"

"EXCALLIBUS! EEEEEK!" Isaboo shrieked. "That place is chock FULL of history! This is going to be so exciting!"

"Indeed." Reldan sighed, opening his eyes again after he was sure Isaboo was done screaming. "Now, you two should depart for Excallibus at once. I will stay here and try to find out as much as possible about the Cursed Isle and the Silver Keys as I can."

"Great! C'mon Mario! Times-a-watsting!" Isaboo cried as she dragged Mario out of the Crescendo Catherdal.

"Good luck to you two!" Reldan called after them. He made sure they were gone, then turned back to the wanted poster he had been designing. The person in the picture on it looked very similar to him, but with some differences.

"Oh dear sister. If you interfere with this plan once again, I'll have to put a stop to you." he muttered. "But you wouldn't make your dear twin brother do that to you, now would you?"

**Well, that's the end of chapter one! Hope you enjoyed it. I should be posting another chapter of this in a few weeks or so. By the way, I decided to stay true to the Paper Mario spirit by keeping Mario from talking, but still having people understand what he says. Hopefully you all understand. Anyways, please review! I love to hear what you all think about my stories. Until next time.**


	2. Chapter 2: Greed for Three

Paper Mario (2)  
The Keys to the Cursed Isle  
Chapter 2: Greed for Three

"...and you can see the castle from here, of course. It's rich with history. You can see a large black mark adorning the west wall. That was from a fireball that was launched at the castle during the rule of King Guy, the former king. They say a dragon had attacked the castle and the soldiers had turned it back. That mark is kept there in memory of that time..."  
Isaboo had not stopped talking about the history of Excallibus ever since they had spotted the island on the horizon. She tended to get quite animated when ranting on about such things, which made it impossible for Mario to enjoy a smooth flight since Isaboo was piloting the balloon. More than once he had to save the balloon from a frightful drop since she would forget her job.  
Isaboo sighed and looked out into the distance, a faraway look in her eyes. After a moment she looked towards Mario, a smile spread across her face.  
"Sorry about the lecture. I just get so excited when talking about history. But we really do have an important mission that we need to take care of. So whenever you need my help, just let me know. I can tell you all about the people and places you need to know."  
Mario nodded and smiled back at her. Then he looked toward the island they would soon land on and wondered what trials awaited him there.

7Z7Z7Z7

After they had landed, the two partners set out to find the Silver Key. They walked through the castle town, enjoying the medieval style theme of the entire island. Carriages and carts were pulled down the roads by Yoshis. The people, all of which were Shy Guys, spoke in old English and were friendly to the two visitors, but a bit wary of them as well.  
"Alright, Mario. All we need to do is find the Silver Key. It shouldn't be too hard. Just like Reldan said, the Sliver Keys act like radars and will lead us to the other Silver Keys. So we just need to get in the general vicinity of-"  
Isaboo was stopped short as the Silver Key in Mario's pocket emitted a loud ring. Mario took it out and it floated in the air, spinning slowly until it finally stopped, its end pointing towards the mouth of a large cave at the base of the mountain.  
Isaboo grinned, staring in the direction that the key was facing.  
"Well that made things a whole lot easier. If you're ready, we can go in."  
Mario nodded and led the way towards the mountain that loomed in the distance, his perky partner following close behind.

7Z7Z7Z7

When they reached the cave, they cautiously entered. It was darker than they predicted, but as soon as they set foot inside, torches on the wall burst in flame as if they had been awaiting the arrival of the two. The walls of the cave looked far too smooth to have been made naturally, and the floor was flat and devoid of any rocks, pits, or ledges.  
Isaboo took one look at the cave and gave herself a triumphant smile, floating forward with an air of victory about her.  
"This is going to be easy."  
Just as the last word left her lips, she ran into a thin, nearly invisible wire. The trap triggered a huge log to sail down from a hidden panel in the ceiling, making its way directly towards Isaboo. Mario acted quickly and tackled her to the ground, causing the log to miss and fly over their heads. However, they had both landed on top of a secret tile, opening vents just above their heads that ejected jets of fire. The two rolled out of the way to avoid burning the tops of their heads, but triggered another trap that caused spikes to jut out of the ground. Suddenly, the ground slid down like an elevator to reveal the true floor of the cave.  
The bones of Shy Guys were embedded in the walls, still wearing most of their armor and wielding their weapons, all of which were rusted with age.  
The two heroes slowly rose and backed away from the danger which had all returned to its deceptively safe state.  
Isaboo, shaking from fear at the sudden ambush, quietly said, "I think we should head back to town and come up with a different plan of action. Perhaps we could ask the king for help. I mean, he DOES have an army that could help us out."  
Mario hastily agreed, eager to get out of the death trap of a cave. The two carefully made their way back to the mouth of the cave and climbed a ladder which had appeared after the ground descended, giving them access back to the safety of the outside world.

7Z7Z7Z7

"Please, we need to see the king. This is urgent!"  
The Shy Guy guard glared down at Mario and his pleading partner, clearly annoyed.  
"And what, pray tell, traveler, is your urgent request? You are clearly not from here since you are not a Shy Guy, and this man's facial hair looks about as trustworthy as a two headed viper. Therefore, I cannot let you in without an invitation from the king or the correct authorization papers."  
Isaboo looked desperate.  
"Oh, come on! The fate of the entire Skysea is at stake here! We need to talk to the king!"  
"Nay, I say to you! Nay! Unless you have the correct authorization forms, you will not gain an audience with the king!"  
Isaboo scowled at him and crossed her arms.  
"Fine. Where do we get the authorization forms?"  
He gave the two a great shove that sent them back the way they came and called after them, "How would I know!? I'm just the gatekeeper! Now off with you!"  
Isaboo got up and scowled back at the Shy Guy, furious with the way she had been treated. After Mario rose as well, she let out a defeated sigh.  
"Looks like we won't be getting any help from the king. And we can't go back into that death trap. Our games would be over before we could say 'oops'. That's it. We're done. The Skysea is finished..."  
Mario would not stand for such talk. They couldn't give up yet! They knew where the key was, they just needed to get to it. If they wanted the king's help, they were going to have to work for it. He suggested asking around town about the forms to start.  
"Yeah, you're right Mario. We can't give up now. Everyone is counting on us, even if they don't know it yet. Sorry I almost gave up. Now then, let's go ask around town, huh?"  
Mario nodded and the two set off back to town. They asked people where to get the papers, but nobody knew. However, when they reached a shopkeeper of the king's favorite tea store, she graciously gave her some of her papers. The two thanked her and once again made their way back to the castle.  
Isaboo looked over the papers on the way. She wrote a few things here and there and eventually folded the papers together, ready to hand them to the guard.  
"Okay Mario. By the looks of things, we'll have to pretend that we are going to present tea to the king. Just play along with it and do as I do. We only have to get inside."  
Mario nodded, understanding the situation. Once they were in, they could tell the king about their plight.  
When the guard came into view, Isaboo made sure the papers were in order and flashed him a huge grin. He looked confused for a moment, but recognized her and prepared to turn her away once again.  
"Look here, little missy. I told you once, and I'll tell you again. You can't get in without-"  
"The papers? I got 'em. Read it and weep." she declared victoriously, handing them to him.  
The guard snatched them from her and skimmed over it. After a few minutes he reluctantly stepped aside with a curt bow.  
"My apologies. You should have just said you were going to bring tea to the king." he said on an obligatory fashion, but he looked angry about letting them inside.  
Mario and Isaboo proceeded over the drawbridge and through the gate, Isaboo turning to blow a raspberry at the guard before the doors swung shut behind them.  
A maid escorted them to the throne room. When they entered, it was hard for them to stifle their gasps.  
The ceiling far above them was adorned with artwork of various past kings and their heroic deeds. One was seen sheltering hundreds of villagers during a terrible storm, another in a furious battle against a fearsome dragon. The stained glass windows started three feet off the ground and stretched all the way up the length of the wall. Guards were lined up against the walls and stood stalk still, staring straight ahead with a stoic expression. They looked more like statues, but they kept a close eye on the two visitors, prepared to leap into action if any trouble aroused.  
At the far end of the royal hall was the king himself. He was rather short, even for a Shy Guy, and plump. His clothes were gold and he held a scepter of the same color in his hand. He wore a red cape with golden fringes, but it was far too small for him and it frequently slipped in front of him, reminding Mario of a bib, and the king would push it back in place, only to have it fall back in the same position again. The throne he sat in was extremely tall and narrow,only making the king look even smaller and fatter. He looked like a very jolly person and Mario couldn't imagine him commanding an army in the serious way that kings did.  
Next to him, however, was somebody who Mario would have mistaken for the king if he had been sitting on the throne.  
This Shy Guy was wearing grayish-white clothes, a similarly colored general's hat perched on his head. A luscious mustache was located just above the mouth hole of his mask, similar to his brother Luigi's, but separated into two different halves just above the mouth, making his face perfectly symmetrical. He held a night black cane in his hand, the light reflecting off of it and giving it a shiny luster. It was simple and had no intricate designs, but it was intriguing. The man was elderly, most likely in his late fifties, but he looked well enough to be walking around without a cane. Its dark, mysterious brilliance rivaled that of the king's scepter. A plain brown satchel hung over his right shoulder, the pockets too small to hold anything except for medicine or a pocket watch. He sat in a less decorated chair, but quite an impressive chair nonetheless. It was dark black and shone like his cane. He actually fit in his mini-throne, so he didn't look comical like the king, but rather imposing and commanding.  
As they approached, the king wiggled in his fancy seat and adjusted his cape once more, his face gleaming like a child's about to tear through the wrapper of a present.  
"You're from Miss Mary's Olde Tea Shoppe, yes? Oh, I love the tea there! I can't wait to try what you've brought me. Gimmie, gimmie, gimmie!"  
Isaboo gave him a nervous smile and shrugged.  
"Actually, your highness, we don't have any tea for you today."  
The king's smile faded and he quit bouncing. A look of utter disappointment settled onto his face. He pouted, crossed his arms, and asked, "You don't? Then why are you here?"  
Mario explained their predicament to the king, telling him all about the cursed isle, the bomb, and the mysterious seven Silver Keys that were needed to stop the calamity from occurring.  
As he spoke, the king's expression became more and more serious as he realized the severity of the situation. Mario had thought that the king would turn them away because he didn't believe their story, but he seemed to be listening intently and believing them.  
When he finished the king nodded and said, "Alrighty, then! If it's my help you need, it's my help you'll get!" He turned to the Shy Guy sitting next to him. He hadn't said a word or even moved during Mario's explanation, but now he stood at attention, ready to obey the king's orders. "Sir Shyloh, round up your men from the Brigade of the White Mask and tell them to search this entire island for the Silver Key. Leave no stone unturned, you hear me?"  
Shyloh saluted. "Yes, your Highness."  
Before he could leave, however, Isaboo interrupted.  
"Oh, that won't be necessary, your Highness. We already know where the key is."  
The royal figurehead stared at her, confusion in his voice. "You do?"  
"Yeah, we just need help getting to it. You see, it's in this big, creepy cave at the other end of the island, but it's full of traps, so we were hoping you could help us-"  
"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Did you say cave? The big cave that lies just north of here?"  
"Yeah, that's the one."  
Fear settled in on the king and he literally quivered in horror, his rotund belly wiggling in a comical manner. When the king spoke next, he stuttered and his hands shook like a porcelain plate in an earthquake.  
"I-I-I've changed my mind. You two can h-help yourselves."  
Isaboo was surprised for a moment, then angry, her face growing redder as fury over the king's sudden change of heart overwhelmed her.  
"What? What do you mean 'help yourselves?' You just said that you would help us!"  
"W-well, now that I think about it, m-my sc-schedule is all filled up and I'm very busy. You'll have to ask another t-t-time. Like in another four years or so."  
"WHAT?! FOUR YEARS!? But the entire Skysea will be gone by then! We don't have four years! We don't even know if we have four DAYS! besides, you don't need to do anything! Just send your knights with us and we can do the work while you sit on your throne."  
Sir Shyloh stepped in between the king and Isaboo.  
"I will not allow you to speak to the king in such a way."  
The king looked pleased that Shyloh had stepped in to defend him and declared, "Yes. I am a king, and will be addressed as such. You can't yell at me like that!"  
"However," Shyloh continued. "I cannot sit by while my king quivers and hides like a coward. It is shameful and pitiful. The king must show initiative and step forward towards the face of danger, and do so with a brave face. Since it is clear that this king has no intention of honoring his royal lineage, his kingdom, or his country, I will step forward and bear the burden for him."  
The king was baffled. He hopped off of his throne and waddled toward Shyloh, tiring himself out after rushing down the stairs.  
He stopped in front of him. After a series of wheezing and panting, he was able to breathe out, "But...I...need...you...here. You're my...advisor."  
Shyloh turned away from him and walked towards the doors at the other end of the hall, signaling to Mario and Isaboo to follow him.  
When the king caught his breath, he stood as tall as he could. "If you do not stop right there, Sir Shyloh, I will strip you of your honorable status and you will be fired as my advisor. You will never walk through these halls again, and I will make sure you are never recognized as a hero again!"  
Shyloh did not pause or show any indication that he had heard the king.  
The king was shocked and desperate. In one last attempt to keep his valuable advisor, he said, "Shyloh, if you walk out those doors with these travelers, I will banish you from Excallibus!"  
Shyloh paused only to push open the grand doors at the end of the hall. He stood with his back to the king for a moment.  
"Your ancestors would be ashamed of you. Goodbye, King Guy."  
Then he exited the room without another word, Mario and Isaboo following behind their new partner, not sure how to feel about the entire ordeal.

7Z7Z7Z7

"Now then, Mario old bean, shall we be off to this cave?"  
Mario nodded, but he was worried. Shyloh had just given up so much for two strangers on a dangerous quest. Was he sure that he wanted to go through with this?  
"What's that? Nonsense, old bean!" he chuckled. "I went with you because I chose to. When I felt the power emanate from that key of yours, I knew your words were true. I suppose I did give up fame and my home, but what's the point of having all of that when it will all be destroyed soon? I would rather fight to protect it then stand by idly and wait for it to perish."  
"Wow. That's pretty noble of you. Seriously, we're grateful for your help. I'm sure we would be unable to do this without your help." Isaboo smiled.  
Shyloh nodded. He opened a pocket of his satchel, took out a container of pills, and popped one into his mouth. He put them back and adjusted his satchel once more. "Now then, let's be off."

7Z7Z7Z7

When the party reached the cave entrance, it had reverted back to its original form, the lethal traps back in place and the floor once more elevated to hide the skeletal remains beneath.  
Shyloh stepped forward, taking in the scene. He seemed to be concentrating quite hard, his scrutinizing gaze scanning the entire cave.  
When he had finished, he chuckled. "My word, there are literally HUNDREDS of traps here. And this is just the entrance." He stepped forward and deftly tapped a spot on the ground with his cane, causing a stalactite to fall from the ceiling and onto that very spot. "Luckily, most of them were one shots and have already been activated, and others have been here so long without being activated that their no longer active. We should be just fine if you do as I say."  
The other two were dumbfounded. How had he been able to detect all of those hazards?  
"How was I able to know those were there? Why, I was a knight before! All knights are trained to detect any hazards and traps. I was especially talented in that department. That's enough chitchat for now. We should get going!"  
The retired knight walked ahead, twirling his cane and tapping it on various spots, activating traps so the group wouldn't blunder into them. Mario and Isaboo followed closely behind, watching their step in case he may have missed some.

7Z7Z7Z7

"So, Shyloh, you used to be a knight?"  
Shyloh scoffed. He struck a pose, holding his cane out like a sword and planting one foot on a rock as if it was his conquered enemy. "I wasn't JUST a knight. I was the captain of the royal army! I led my troops with bravery and determination and we left every battle victorious! I was THE knight!"  
Isaboo smiled, imagining the elderly Shy Guy in a battle with fierce enemies. "That's awesome! But what happened? How come you're retired now?"  
Shyloh's mood immediately became bitter. He mumbled something indistinctly.  
"What was that?" Isaboo asked.  
"I got injured in a fight against a dragon! She whacked me with her tail and broke my left leg. It never healed correctly, so I could never fight the same way again." His voice fell and he stared at the ground.  
"Wow. I'm sorry, Shyloh. Really, I-"  
"Please, don't." he said monotonously, clearly wanting to end the conversation right there. He led the way once more, this time whacking the traps more furiously.

7Z7Z7Z7

"WATCH OUT, OLD CHAP!"  
Mario felt Shyloh's cane catch him by the throat and yank him back, just as a row of spikes shot from the ground where Mario was a moment before.  
Mario fell on his rear, shaking slightly from the unexpected event. When the spikes slid back into place and Mario had gotten over the shock, he stood and thanked Shyloh. If he hadn't pulled him back at that very moment, Mario would have been skewered plumber!  
"Worry not, old boy. I'm happy to be of any assistance."  
The party was about to get moving again, but two enemies blocked their way.  
One was a green Shy Guy, and the other was a Cleft.  
"Oh, hey! I didn't know there were other people in this cave besides us." Isaboo said. She extended her hand to them and smiled. "I'm Isaboo. And you are?"  
"About to take all of your money!" the green Shy Guy hissed.  
Shyloh stepped between the thieves and his friends, trying to settle things peacefully. "We don't want to have to fight you, but we will if we must. Just step aside and we won't hurt you."  
The bandits only laughed. They didn't believe that Mario and co. could defeat them.  
But, Mario wondered, why were two thieves hanging out in such a dangerous and out of the way place?  
"It's the bessssst hideout! Nobody will ever look for ussssss here. We are completely ssssssafe until we decccccide to head out and rob ssssssomeone.  
We aren't the only onessss. Many more await you in thisssss cave, and in many other placccccessss too. What other folksssss may conssssider dangerousssss and inhossssspitable, we conssssider a perfect hideout."  
With the final word he cracked his knuckles, ready for a fight. His partner stomped his feet and prepared to charge.  
"I suppose there is no other option." Shyloh said as he readied his cane. "Let us dispose of these ruffians, shall we?"  
The battle began as Mario leaped forward, landing on the Shy Guy's head. He let out a grunt of pain and charged at Mario. Mario guarded against it, causing the Shy Guy to growl in rage.  
Shyloh ran up to the Cleft and struck him with his cane. The Cleft, however, was prepared and used his rock hard defense to deflect the attack.  
The Cleft guffawed. "You, stupid. Me, smart. Me, have goodest defense. You, have biggest stupid brain that is stupid. Gwahaha!"  
Shyloh glared at the Cleft. "I didn't want to resort to this, but you leave me no choice." He stood up straight, cleared his throat, and looked the Cleft straight in the eye. "You, sir, have the most improper use of grammar and annoyingly gruff voice that has ever been my displeasure to hear. It would be more pleasurable to embrace a Pokey than listen to your speech patterns for one more second!"  
The Cleft had a shocked expression on his face for a moment, then he actually started to cry.  
"You...You is just bully!" he sobbed. Shyloh took the oppurtunity to attack, knocking the Cleft out in one hit.  
The Shy Guy hissed as he saw his companion fall. Then he rushed at Mario again. This attack hit Mario. He staggered from the blow but quickly recovered. He then used his hammer to finish off his foe.  
Isaboo cheered in triumph even though she hadn't truly helped out. "Yeah! Well, what did you expect? That's why you don't mess with the best!"  
"Good job, old boy! You are quite the fighter. And, I must say, it seems as if I still got it myself!" Shyloh said proudly.  
The party was about to advance, but the Shy Guy and Cleft had gotten up, both looking bruised and battered.  
"What, you still want more?" Isaboo taunted.  
"No! Me don't want more mean words! You meanies!" the Cleft said on the verge of tears, his voice shaking.  
"Really, no more punishment for ussssss pleasssse. Jussssst know that we are only the appetizer. Ssssstronger foessss await you in the depthsssss of thisssss placcccce. You will surely be frozen, sssscorched, and/or sssstinky by the time they finish with you foolssssss."  
With that the two ran off, the Shy Guy groaning in pain and the Cleft blubbering like a baby.  
"What do you think that scrub meant when he said that we would be frozen, ssssscorhed, and sssstinky when 'they' were done with us?" Isaboo said, mimicking the Shy Guy's peculiar way of speaking.  
"I'm not sure. But let us proceed with caution." Shyloh ordered. The party continued, a sense of victory motivating them.

7Z7Z7Z7

"Hey, Shyloh, what was that thing you did to that Cleft?" Isaboo asked. "You, like, insulted him or something, and that totally threw him off guard."  
"Oh, that's just a little move I like to call Reprimand. A few insults to throw the enemy off. Usually they lose some power or let their defense drop. It's quite useful and makes battles easier."  
Isaboo's eyes lit up, showing the other two how impressed she was. "Neat! Where did you learn to do that?"  
Shyloh looked toward the ceiling, allowing a memory to play through his head. "Oh, sometime during my days as commander of the royal army. I would always scold the soldiers. And, by watching the performance of enemy knights in battle, I usually had to restrain myself from yelling at them as well."  
"Cool! Well, I'm glad you can use that to our advantage. Now I know that you'll be of use!"  
"Yes, yes, it's is quite amazing isn't i-wait a moment. You just realized my usefulness NOW? After all I've done already?" Shyloh's voice filled with disbelief.  
Isaboo scratches the back of her head, embarrassed. "Well, it's just that you're sort of...old..."  
Shyloh huffed. "How dare you! I might not be a spring chicken anymore, but there's still a fire burning in these old bones!" To prove it, he attempted a jump over a rather large rock. He failed to jump over it, face planting into it instead.  
"Oohhh...my back..." he moaned.  
The other two couldn't help themselves. They laughed as the eldest member of their party got up and rubbed his back, leaning on his cane for support. He truly looked like a grumpy old man.  
After a sitting down Mario and Isaboo to lecture them about respecting their elders, he led the way again, the two younger ones wishing they hadn't laughed at him now.

7Z7Z7Z7

Eventually, the three reached a dead end. The cave ended in a large room. No the room was empty except for a large hole in the ceiling. And for three dragons, who were currently quarreling with each other.  
They were all the same size, and, judging by Mario's previous experiences with dragons, they were small, most likely juveniles. One was red, another blue, and the last one green. In between them was the Silver Key, which seemed to be what the triplets were arguing over.  
"Nu-uh! It's mine! I found it!" the red one growled.  
"Yeah, but I carried it here!" the blue one retorted.  
"But I was the one who...um...uh...well, it's mine anyway!" the green one screeched.  
"What's going on here?" Isaboo said, confused. "Why are there three baby dragons here?"  
"That's not the worst part. Look!" Shyloh pointed. "Isn't that the Silver Key you need, old boy?"  
Mario nodded. But how were they going to get that key from them.  
One of the dragons glanced over at the heroes. He signaled to his brothers, letting them know about the intruders.  
"Hey! Who are you guys?" the blue one asked.  
"They look tasty!" the green one commented.  
"Let's eat 'em up!" the red one suggested.  
"Now, now, boys, we don't want to resort to violence." Shyloh said. "Now, would you chaps be kind enough to hand over that key there?"

The three dragons stared at him for a moment, then they burst out laughing.

"Yeah, right! Like we would give this awesome treasure to YOU! Forget it gramps!"

Shyloh grunted at them, preparing to lecture them as well. Luckily Mario stepped in and stopped him. Shyloh's lectures were a torture that no living being should ever have to go through.

Isaboo floated forward instead, smiling at the boys and using her sweetest voice. "Now, now, that's not very nice. How about we just…buy it from you? We can pay for it!"

"No way! We found this key first, and it's way too valuable to be bought! So buzz off, hag!" the blue one snarled.

Isaboo was taken aback. "H…hag? HAG!? HOW DARE YOU! You annoying little brats!" She floated back towards her two companions and faced the dragon triplets, ready for a duel. "Change of plans, guys. Looks like we're gonna have to spank these miscreants!"

"You hear that, guys?" the green one asked his brothers. "They wanna fight us! Let's stink 'em!"

"Let's freeze 'em"

"Let's burn 'em!"

The battle commenced. Immediately, Isaboo stared intently at their enemies. Mario was about to ask what she was doing, but she spoke.

"Analysis complete." she said. "These are the dragon triplets. Max HP is 15, Attack is 5, and Defense is zero, each. They're all a different color, signifying what their attack is. The red one breathes fire, the blue one breathes an icy blast of wind, and the green one breathes a stinky, poisonous gas cloud. Watch out, because each one can cause a different status ailment! Also, they can hover just above the ground, so your hammer will be useless on them, Mario. Their attack is pretty high, so I would recommend using Shyloh's Reprimand ability to lower it. Other than that, there's nothing you really need to worry about. Now, let's pound these stupid brats!"

"Hey! No fair! You can't do that!" the red one whined. He then turned to his blue brother. "Why can't you do anything like that?"

"Hey! I'm the smart one! Why aren't you asking me?" the green one complained.

"No way, man. You're pretty dumb." the blue one responded.

The green dragon growled, but said nothing more. Instead, he blew a cloud of noxious gas over Mario. Luckily, Mario was able to hold his breath and avoid being poisoned, but his skin burned when the contaminated air touched it. After it dissipated, Mario attacked. He leapt into the air and landed on the green dragon's head. Isaboo rushed forward and slapped the blue dragon multiple times. He retaliated by blowing a gust of frosty wind at her. It engulfed her, and, within a few seconds, Isaboo was completely encased in an ice block. Shyloh grunted in frustration at this and hurled a flurry of insults at the blue dragon. Surprisingly, they had a huge effect, and the dragon was too busy crying his eyes out to concentrate on the battle.

"Hey! You can't make my brother cry! Only I get to do that!" The fire dragon said as he glided over to Isaboo. "Fine! How about I make your friend cry? CRY OUT IN PAIN!" With that, he engulfed Isaboo in a wave of flames. The ice immediately melted away, and the water that ran off extinguished the fire, leaving Isaboo completely unscathed.

The red dragon realized his mistake. He was too dumbfounded to say anything except "doh."

Isaboo shook herself and stretched a bit, thankful to be out of that block of ice. "Thanks, stupid!" she smirked as she slapped the red dragon.

Shyloh took the opportunity to attack the blue dragon with his cane. The ice dragon tried to fight back, but he was crying too heavily to puff out a proper freezing blast. After a few powerful whacks, he was down for the count.

Meanwhile, Mario was still struggling with the poisonous dragon. He had managed to get a few good hits in, but he had unfortunately been caught off guard, allowing himself to inhale some of the gas. The poison was steadily taking it's toll on him, but after another strike from Mario, the green dragon fell. Mysteriously, the effects of the poison faded when the one who controlled it was defeated.

Now only the red dragon was left.

"GGGGRRRRR! I won't let you steal our treasure!" he roared. He flew at Shyloh and Isaboo, knocking them into a far wall. He flew over them and prepared to blow a fiery blast at them. However, Mario noticed this and threw his hammer at the beast. It struck him on the back of the head, causing him to moan in pain and slowly fall to the ground.

Mario helped his friends up, and they stared at the three dragons, now lying on the floor in a daze, moaning in pain.

"Yes! We did it! We are such a good team!" Isaboo cheered.

"Indeed. I must commend both of you on your battle performance. Why, I have never seen better warriors in all my days of commanding the royal military!" Shyloh praised.

"Ooohhh….don't…feel good….." the dragons groaned.

Mario felt a little bit bad about beating up those children, even if they were greedy brats.

"I suppose I do feel rather guilty as well…" Shyloh said, scratching his head uncertaintly.

"Who cares? They deserved it, anyway. Now, let's just take the key and g-" Isaboo began, but was cut off as a huge gust of wind blew over them.

"BOOOOOYS!" a voce roared. "WHAT'S GOING ON DOWN HERE!?"

Down from the giant hole in the ceiling descended a humongous purple dragon. She set down on the floor and took in the scene before her.

"Whoah, momma…" Shyloh whispered as the mother dragon glared at the party.

"MOMMA!" the triplets shouted and rushed to her side. They began to frantically explain what happened, each speaking over one another.

"Theses bad guys attacked us-"

"-tried to steal our treasure-"

"-called me mean names!"

The purple dragon silenced them. She thought for a moment, trying to make sense of what they said.

"Wait, wait, wait. Rewind. What's this about treasure?" she asked.

The red dragon flew over to the Silver Key which was still in its same location.

"Yeah! Yeah! They tried to take this treasure we found!" he said.

The purple dragon roared. "You greedy brats! I told you that you have enough treasure! Didn't I just get you that ancient chalice yesterday? You truly are the greediest children ever! If your father was still around, he would be FURIOUS! When we were children, our parents would have spanked us for HOURS if we even MENTIONED getting another treasure so soon after getting another! Thankfully, these good folks seem to already have done the job FAR better than I ever could!" She then turned her attention to the three heroes and smiled. "Really, thank you. You saved me quite a bit of time!"

She then turned back to her children. "Now, apologize!"

They looked at the floor and spoke with solemn voices. "Sorry, Momma…"

"No, apologize to these poor people for wasting their time!" she said.

"Sorry…" they said in unision.

She put on another smile and turned to Mario and co. again. "Really, I'm sorry for the trouble my boys gave you. It's just that they're always cooped up in here because the citizens outside would freak out if they saw any dragons. I mean, I should know since I used to terrorize them. But then I met George and we settled down to make a family and…well basically, watching these three and making sure they don't get into any trouble just takes up all my time now."

Mario and the others just stared at her, not sure how to respond.

"Anyways, is there any way I could make it up to you?"

Mario stepped forward. He asked if they could have the Silver Key.

"Why, certainly! Maybe this will teach my boys a lesson about sharing!" she snarled at her children with the last word. "It's all yours."

Mario stepped forward and claimed the Silver Key, feeling its power emanate as it sat in his hand.

"So, can I make you folks some lemonade or some mushroom pizza?" the purple dragon asked.

Shyloh coughed and gestured to his comrades, signaling that it was time to go.

Isaboo nervously answered her. "Uh, we would love to stay, but, um, we gotta get going."

"Oh, I see. Well, if you ever feel like visiting, please, come at anytime!" she said in a friendly manner.

"Yeah! That battle was sort of hard, but really fun!" the green dragon said. "When you guys come back, we can play again!"

The blue one jumped in. "Yeah, and bring friends! The more the merrier!"

"Hush, now, boys!" the mother scolded.

The dragons said their goodbyes to the three heroes and they said goodbye back, although the feeling of waving goodbye to their former enemies and one that could have been a potential enemy left them with an awkward feeling.

Nonetheless, they exited the cave with their prize, the second Silver Key, listening to the sounds of the mother dragon scolding her children echoing off the walls of the cave.

7Z7Z7Z7

"So, what are you going to do now, Sir Shyloh?" Isaboo asked.

He looked back at her, confusion in his voice. "Hm? What do you mean?"

"Well, we got the key that you wanted to help us obtain. But now that we have it, where are you going? You can't stay here in Excallibus because you got exiled…sorry about that by the way…"

"Isn't it obvious? I'm going to stay with you two! If that's alright."

"Of course! Right, Mario?"

Mario smiled and nodded. He would be happy to have Shyloh accompany them.

"Jolly good! Now, should we shove off then?"

Mario nodded and led his friends towards the skyport, ready to report to Reldan about the good news.

**Whew, that took a while to make, mainly because of motivational predicaments. Anyways, I decided to make the 'dungeon' portions into little skits because describing the scenery and puzzles and stuff would be too painful to write and boring to read. Also, Isaboo's Analyze ability will only come into play during boss fights. Anyways, please review!**


	3. The Enemy of my Enemy is my Friend

**Yes, I know it's been a long while since I updated this. Yes, I know I'm a horrible person for leaving this on hold for so long. Yes, I know pizza is a tasty food. But, hey, I haven't completely given up on it! I'll still update this story, but updates will come few and far between, most likely. Sorry.**

**Anyways, onto chapter three!**

**Paper Mario: The Keys to the Cursed Isle**

**Chapter Three**

**The Enemy of my Enemy is my Friend**

Relna was not pleased.

She stared at the minion who was currently cowering on one knee in front of her, trying his hardest not to faint from fear.

She stared long and hard at him, her eyes boring into him, and, though his eyes were hidden behind thick goggles, he found that he couldn't meet her gaze. His eyes darted around to look at anything in the room but her.

_'Okay, okay. Calm down, man.'_ he thought to himself, his inner voice even shaking in fear._ 'Maybe she'll be lenient with me. I just need to wait for her answer...'_

He thought about the room he was currently in. It was Relna's personal chambers, but, although she was their awesome, powerful leader, it was hardly a room befitting to the leader of such a great organization.

The walls were painted white, but it was hard to tell from the peeling, chipping paint. There wasn't much furniture, just cases and stands for various weapons, most of them sharp and deadly. And there were a LOT of them. The entire room had weapons like swords, spears, and heavy ball and chains that looked impossible to lift lining the walls. The only two things that 'weren't' weapons was a once regal mirror and an old, canopy bed. The bed was a dull, crimson red and seemed to be dilapidated. The posts, which had already been broken down with age, had been further deconstructed by Relna. This had most likely occurred whenever Relna had been 'displeased' in the past. Dents from hammers adorned the headstand and the sheets were slashed to ribbons. The minion shuddered at the thought of any of that happening to him.

The mirror had accumulated too much grime and dust to be of any use, but it's not like Relna would use such a thing anyway. Her appearance was unimportant to her, though, somehow, she looked incredibly beautiful anyways.

Like her brother, she wore a hooded cloak around her that concealed her face, with only her dark blue eyes showing, an eternal seriousness embedded in them. Her cloak, however, was a midnight blue. Her hair was mostly hidden as well, but two large, silky swaths of teal hair fell over her shoulders and met at her lower back to form a U shape, the two ends held together in a large blue sphere with a rotating moon inside, the rest of the hair falling straight through it and nearly touching the ground, making it look more like a U with a line sticking down from the bottom of it.

Relna finally spoke, her voice commanding and serious. "Let me get this straight. Our enemies, a threesome containing a ditzy ghost, an old Shy Guy, and a chubby plumber, managed to beat your brigade of twenty five highly trained soldiers to the Silver Key?"

The Koopa minion gulped, fear coursing through him. "Y-yes, O Powerful Relna..."

Relna sighed when she heard the title. "How many times have I told you to stop calling me that? I'm not a O Powerful, or a Mistress, or Great and Mighty."

"But what would we call you then, Milady?" he asked, hopping to his feet. "All of your minions respect you so much! How would we show our loyalty and respect to you?"

"By doing your job and collecting the Silver Keys."

The Koopa scratched his head sheepishly, embarrassed of his failure. "Well, I suppose...but it wasn't out fault, Lady Relna! There were simply too many traps! There was no way we would have gotten through there alive!"

"It was your fault, and you know it! Lakilouis informed me about how your brigade gave up after the first trap and went back to town to hang out in the tavern."

The Koopa mentally face palmed. How could he have forgotten about Lakilouis! That guy was such a tattletale!

The Koopa sighed. "Yes, Lady Relna. It was our fault. Please, give us another chance. I'm sure that we can stop Mario!"

"Fine. But first I must visit our outpost in Out-Most-Sphere. The scouts there have located another key, but it is currently in possession of a shopkeeper. In order to prevent hostile relations, we will try to settle this in a diplomatic way, though he refuses to negotiate with anyone but me."

The Koopa was intrigued. Resorting to force would most likely lead to fighting between the citizens and the SRC. Already tensions were high between the two groups. But buying the key or trading for it could prevent fighting, or maybe even lead to an alliance between the organization and the thieves and thugs of that town. Relna was pretty smart.

"How long will you be there, La-"

"However long it takes to find the key." she said, cutting him off. "I'll trust you to guard this base in West Skysound. This is our home base, so if you screw up, there will be 'major' consequences."

The Koopa beamed, excited, but a tad fearful, about his new task.

"Yes! Thank you, Lady Relna!"

7Z7Z7Z7

"Hm, this city certainly is different than Excallibus." said Sir Shyloh, the retired knight, as he rubbed his chin.

"Yeah! This place is totally awesome!" the perky Boo, Isaboo, smiled, twirling around as she floated through the streets.

Mario couldn't help but smile, and he was sure Shyloh was doing so as well. Isaboo's happiness could be so contagious. When she smiled, a wide grin would often spread across his face as well.

After they had bought more items and eaten a light lunch, they made their way to the cathedral to tell Reldan the good news.

"Reldan, Reldan, Reldan! Guess what we got?" Isaboo sang childishly as she burst through the front doors.

Reldan turned around and most likely smiled at them from under his hood. "I see that you were successful! Congratulations! That's two keys already!" He then noticed Shyloh following them. "Oh, who might this be? A friend of yours?"

Mario nodded, explaining how Shyloh had joined them and helped them obtain the Silver Key.

"I see. I'm sorry that you were exiled because of us."

Shyloh shook his head. "Nonsense, old bean. There's no need for all of that. I'll be fine."

"Nevertheless, when this ordeal is settled, I will do everything in my power to give you a new home. I thank you for your assistance." He then turned back to the mustached plumber. "Now, Mario, the key, if you would."

Mario retrieved the key from his pocket and held it out in front of him. He turned it just as he had done the first time, and a brilliant light filled the room.

The keyhole shaped light showed the party a new area this time. It was a gritty, rundown, criminal infested island that could barely be considered a town. Buildings had chunks of wall missing, shop signs were covered in graffiti or falling apart, and the ground was littered with garbage. Really, it looked like a smaller version of Rogueport, a town that Mario had visited in the past.

When the light faded, Reldan spoke to the party.

"It seems that you are headed for the town of Out-Most-Sphere. Be careful. That place is filled with ruffians and thieves. I've also heard that the SRC has a base built there."

"Those losers?" Isaboo frowned. "Why would they be there? I thought the police were hunting them down here."

Mario remembered that Reldan was on the city council, so he must have had a say in the warrants against the SRC.

"We've done as much as we could, but their leader still eludes us. All of the agents we captured have not given us any useful info, except that they have a station in Out-Most-Sphere. Our jurisdiction doesn't stretch to there. Even if it did, I don't believe that anyone would jump at the chance to go. However, while we can't do very much about this, you can. I'm sure their leader is there. Please, search for the key, but do anything you can to stop them as you do."

"Of course, my friend." Shyloh saluted him.

Reldan nodded and wished them luck. The group turned to leave, but stopped when Reldan called to them.

"Oh, wait a moment! I have something very important to tell you!"

The three heroes paused and exchanged looks. They shrugged to each other and walked back to the fortune teller, wondering what was wrong.

"What is it, Reldan?" Isaboo asked.

Reldan was knocking on his head and hissing in frustration. "Oh, I'm so STUPID! How could I have forgotten to tell you!?"

"Don't fret, old bean! Just tell us what's wrong." Shyloh said.

"The Silver Keys." he started. "They hold more power than you think. What I forgot to tell you before you left for Excallibus is that you can use special attacks with the keys. These special attacks will allow you to perform powerful attacks and use special abilities."

This intrigued Mario. These special attacks could truly be helpful in battles. But how could he activate them?

"Simple. Just hold the key you wish to use in front of you and turn it to the left."

Mario retrieved the first key from his pocket and did as he was told. A keyhole shaped plane of light appeared in front of him. Sparkles of light flowed out and fell upon Mario and his friends. As each one touched him, Mario felt more and more refreshed.

When they had disappeared, Reldan spoke to them again. "That was Rejuvenating Light, a move that will heal you and your friends and negate any status ailments. Remember, if you want to use that move, you must use the correct key. Now, we can practice the next move if you would like."

Mario nodded and used the second key. The same keyhole appeared, but this time, a sword made entirely of light shot out of it, cutting straight through Reldan. He fell over in pain as the light vanished.

The three gasped and ran to his side.

"Omigosh! Reldan! Are you okay?" Isaboo asked.

He got up with a groan. Luckily, he didn't seem to have any psychical damage done to him, although he still clutched his side in pain.

"I'll be fine." he said slowly. "That's a useful skill, Mario. It's called Light Sword. It will slice through all enemies who stand before you. Use it when there are too many foes to fight at once."

Mario nodded, but was still worried about him. Was he truly all right?

"Yes, yes, I'm fine, Mario. I'm much stronger than you think." the city council member said with a twinkle in his eye. "Now, off with you! Best be off while there's still enough sunlight! Out-Most-Sphere is dreadful during the day, but it's even worse at night."

Mario nodded and thanked Reldan for his help. Then he and his friends left the cathedral, prepared to face their next challenge.

7Z7Z7Z7

The town didn't look any different in person than it did in the Silver Key's vision.

Isaboo sighed and leaned on the wheel steering the ship, inadvertently making it veer to the right. When the air headed Boo had straightened it out again, she said, "Do we really have to go there? It looks so ugly and...mean."

"I'm afraid so." Shyloh replied, adjusting his hat. "If the Silver Key is there, we have no choice but to land and search for it."

Isaboo sighed once more and pouted, clearly against the idea of venturing the crime ridden isle.

Mario wasn't too keen about it himself. He had already visited a town of thieves and crooks before, and from what he could tell, Out-Most-Sphere wasn't much better. Although it wasn't a surprise that the town was lawless and mostly forgotten, what with it being so far away from all other civilization, right at the edge of the Skysea.

"So, what's the plan?" the elderly Shy Guy asked.

"I guess we just land and use our newest key to try and find the other one, right?" Isaboo looked to Mario for confirmation, and he nodded.

It seemed like a simple task, but it definitely wouldn't be easy.

7Z7Z7Z7

Surprisingly, however, finding the key wasn't so hard.

Mario and co. trudged through the streets of Out-Most-Sphere, keeping a close eye on their pockets. Rugged, sinister looking Bandits stared at them from the alleyways and those who passed by were quick to analyze them, no doubt pondering whether they were worth the effort of robbing.

Luckily, they made it to their destination, a small antique shop, without being attacked.

"Well, this is it." Isaboo stated, staring at the sign hanging above their heads. "'Goombarry's Antiques'. Guess he didn't really bother with a flashy name, huh?"

"My guess is that the people here could barely read the word 'antique' anyways..." Shyloh said in a low voice.

Mario led the way into the store.

It was small, but it seemed even more confined due to the cluttered interior of the shop.

Old, musty books were crammed into the dull colored book cases on one wall. Dust covered plates, mantlepieces, and ships-in-bottles were messily arranged on tables, some even lying on chairs. The shop was stuffy and felt constricting. It smelled like the paper one would find in an old book, but there was a hint of air freshener as well, most likely a vain attempt to get rid of the former stench.

As soon as Mario stepped foot in the shop, a Goomba wielding a coat hanger jumped out from behind a stack of books, wildly swinging his weapon.

"I told you Bashers to beat it! I paid Pick and Pocket what I owed them, so there's no need to smash anything else! But if you wanna tussle, than I dare ya to come at me!"

Mario jumped back, hands raised defensively.

"Whoa, there! We just wanted to ask you a question?" Isaboo said, rushing in to help Mario.

The Goomba lowered his clothes hanger, an expression of half puzzlement and half disappointment on his face. "You're not Bashers? Ah, well, that's sort of a shame. My new hanger's been itching for a fight." He turned and set the clothes hanger down on a pile of books, then made his way deeper into the store. "Hey, sorry about threatening you like that, but you can't be too careful with all these rouges and thieves around here, eh?"

Shyloh stepped forward, wanting to get straight to the point. "Mr. Goombarry, we believe that you are in the possession of a very valuable item. It is a silver key, and we are in desperate need of it."

Goombarry sat down in a rickety rocking chair, his eyes narrowed as he sensed a business deal inevitably approaching. "Yeah, I got something like that. But it's not for sale."

"There must be some way we can get it. Please?" Isaboo pleaded.

Goombarry withdrew the Silver Key from the spine of a nearby book and held it up tauntingly. "This is what you want, right? Well, there is one way you can get it. You just need to do a little favor for me. Nothing difficult. You just gotta deliver a package."

Mario tilted his head to one side, intrigued, confused, and a little suspicious. A package?

"Yup. You just gotta take this to the Rusty Mug, a little pub by the docks. Give it to the blue shelled Hammer Bro. there. Tell him it's a gift from Lok Pik."

"This seems slightly shady..." Shyloh said slowly. "I'm not sure we should be doing this."

"Aw, come on! You need this key, right? All's you gotta do is deliver a box. That's not so hard, right? It's the only way I'm gonna hand it over, too, so if I were you, I'd take the job."

Isaboo shrugged, looking to Mario. "Well, it's your call, Mario. What do you wanna do?"

Mario looked between his friends and thought for a moment before finally turning to Goombarry and nodding. If they wanted the key, they would have to accept his task. Plus, they only needed to deliver a package. How hard could that be?

"Good, good." the Goomba said, nodding vigorously. He dashed into a back room and came back after a moment, a simple cardboard box in his hands. "This is the package I need you to deliver. DO NOT drop it."

Mario figured that there must be some fragile antiques in the box, but, unbeknownst to him, he was extremely wrong.

Mario took the box and his friends followed him to the door. As they left, Goombarry's voice carried after them. "Oh, and after you give it to Lok, you guys should leave immediately. Wouldn't wanna be around once he opens it."

The mustached hero had no idea what he meant by those final words, but he adjusted his cap and tucked the box under one arm, his new destination being the Rusty Mug.

7Z7Z7Z7

With only a moment's hesitation, Mario pushed open the doors to the pub.

He was overwhelmed with the smell of smoke and alcohol. Muscular men were seated at nearly every table. The only time they would stop talking in their rough, deep voices was when they paused to take a swig from their oversized mugs, many of which lived up to the building's name.

The pub was lit by candles set in a large ring formation on the chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. Many of the seats were merely barrels and the leather on the barstools was shredded.

A single Monty Mole manned the counter, sliding drinks down to whoever would call to him. He didn't look particularly buff, but Mario was sure that there was a reason why everyone held him in high respect, not even daring to insult him, even if he gave them the wrong type of drink.

Mario spotted a Hammer Bro. near the back of the restaurant by the restrooms. He had a blue shell and helmet and a tattoo of a mermaid on his left arm. A black eyepatch was over his right eye and he had a mean scowl on his face.

He seemed to be talking to three other people, a female Nimby with long hair covering part of her right eye, a green shelled Spikey with a lazy eye, his eyelids drooping as if he was about to fall asleep, and a bluish Boo with kitty ears perched on her head.

As they approached, Mario could hear the Hammer Bro. talking.

"...it ain't none of my business as to what youse guys is doing, yeah? All's I know is that you gotta find these rings, and, bein' the kind, honest gentleman I am, I'm gonna help ya. I just gots to know, are you gonna help me?" As he said the last part, he rubbed his fingers together, indicating that he expected money.

He did a double take as Mario approached and scowled even more. "Whadda you want, whiskers?"

The three people he was talking to turned to him as well, and the Boo started whispering to the Nimby. Seeing the Nimby's eyes begin to widen, Mario decided to tell him about the box, eager to leave the pub.

"Ah, I see. So Lok's finally given up, has he? All right, hand it over here." He turned to the other three. "Lemme just see what kind of peace offerin' ol' Lok gave me, and I'll go back to negotiatin'."

The Hammer Bro. started tearing away at the tape on the box. Mario felt a tap on his shoulder and heard Shyloh's voice whispering in his ear. "Say, that bloke back at the store told us to take off once we had delivered it, eh old bean? I say we leave, posthaste!"

Mario nodded and turned to leave the pub, his friends following him closely.

As he was about to exit, he heard a female's voice calling his name, most likely one of the two who were back with the Hammer Bro.

Mario ignored her, not even turning to acknowledge that she had called him, and kept walking, trying to put as much distance as he could between himself and the pub. He had a sinking feeling that he had just been involved in some sort of shady deal, and it didn't make it any better that one of the people back there had known his name.

When the group was a few blocks away, they heard a deep, quaking boom.

Mario spun around along with every other person on the street, wondering what could have made the noise.

There was a large crowd in the way, so his visibility was limited. However, he could see a huge plume of smoke rising over their heads. It was in the same direction as the pub.

"We should go." Isaboo said, a note of fear in her voice. "Like, now."

The two men traveling with her nodded. They all turned away as one and walked back to the antique store as quickly as they could.

7Z7Z7Z7

When they entered the shop again, Goombarry greeted them with a friendly smile.

"Hey! I guess that means that you didn't get caught in the explosion! I assume everything went well?"

"Well!? You planned that!?" Isaboo asked, her voice shaking slightly.

Goombarry waved it off as if it were nothing. "Yeah, yeah. Don't worry, though. I doubt very many people got hurt...seriously...It was just enough to teach Hammo a lesson. Lok Pik ain't givin' up without a fight!"

"I am ashamed to have been a part of such a scheme, but we have our own matters to worry about." Shyloh said, rubbing his temples. "A deal is a deal. We'll be taking the key now."

Goombarry nodded and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I was just getting to that. Here ya go."

He tossed Mario the key. Once he had caught it, he unfurled his fingers, elated to have gotten the item they sought without much trouble.

"Yes! That's three already!" Isaboo cheered. "We're making great progress!"

Mario nodded. There were still four more to find, however. He suggested that it would be best to return back to Skysound and seek the others immediately.

"I agree." Shyloh nodded. "I must admit, too, that I am eager to leave this barbaric town. Never before have I seen a place full of so much dishonor and treachery!"

"Bah, whatever." Goombarry scoffed. "Keep your fancy-schmancy rules and civility. This rugged town is enough for me."

Mario thanked him for his help and left the shop. He, too, was eager to leave the town.

As soon as Mario stepped outside, he felt something crash into his side. He fell to the ground, dazed and confused.

"Whoops, sorry pal!" a voice said.

Mario propped himself up on his elbow to see a Bandit getting to his feet. He looked like any old Bandit besides the myriad of badges that he wore all over his chest and the turquoise stripes he had as opposed to the white stripes of a regular Bandit.

The Bandit ran off before Mario could even get up. The mustached plumber dusted himself off and adjusted his cap again, a little perturbed by the encounter.

"This is why I loathe this town. The citizens simply have no manners!" Shyloh huffed.

"What a jerk!" Isaboo spat after the Bandit. Then she turned to Mario, concerned. "Do you have everything, Mario? You never know, that guy could have stolen something."

Mario checked every pocket on him, making sure that no coins were missing and that all of his items were where they belonged.

Everything seemed to be in order, except...

The key. The Silver Key they had just received from Goombarry. It was missing!

"What? Speak up, chap! You say the key is gone!?" Shyloh cried.

"That Bandit! I bet he took it!" Isaboo said.

Mario nodded, now very angry. They needed that key, and some scumbag had just took it!

"I say we go after him! He can't have gotten far!" his Boo friend said and rushed forward, Shyloh and Mario following just behind.

Mario wasn't about to let some common thief keep him from saving the Skysea.

The chase was on!


End file.
